Mike said:
Sunny
Your system allocates memory to various areas all of the time.. with 2gb or
less installed, it does it as required.. with over 2gb installed, it can
start to permanently allocate memory to the hardware.. this is NOT a bad
thing.. every function of the computer needs resource to work, whether you
can directly see it or not..
I specifically asked what hardware *other* than integrated video uses
dedicated RAM, and you responded "various areas".
From a user standpoint, there would be no point is seeing what was happening
throughout the system.. the only 'easy to ascertain' functions are in RAM
available for programs, and video memory.. as long as BIOS recognises the
full amount, and assuming that the motherboard functions are all a-ok (BSODs
would show that they are not), then your system as a whole is benefiiting..
Not according to the Microsoft document at the URL Bob I posted:
"The physical address space is used to address more than just RAM. It is
also used to address all of the memory and some of the registers
presented by devices. Consequently, if a machine is configured with the
maximum amount of physical memory, some of that memory will be unusable
because some of the physical address space is mapped for other uses."
That explains why you can't tell me what other hardware uses dedicated
RAM - because there isn't any.
It also disproves your claim that "your system is getting the full
benefit of all of the 4gb". In fact the system is not using the
"missing" RAM at all, because it's *addresses* have been allocated
elsewhere, so the system cannot access the RAM.
Sunny
..provided a link to, you are dead wrong.the system is not benefiting
from the additional RAM because XP allocates memory and memory addresses
for communicating with devices. Any memory address used for device
communication may not be used for RAM access.
.. (note: kfa).. the great